Remember the Nights
by kakumeimei
Summary: AU Squall is the militaristic Commander of Balamb Garden. All of his thoughts go to protocol and regulation. At least, they did until Rinoa the Sun Fairy came into his office. Can she remind him of the passion he once had before the Lunar Cry occurs?
1. Prologue: The Sorceresses of Days Past

Disclaimer: I may have a friend who accidentally pirated Guild Wars, but I still don't own FF8. Please don't sue me.

* * *

Remember The Nights  
Prologue: The Sorceresses of Days Past 

Commander Squall Leonhart of Balamb Garden stood at the front of the class, trying to look as imposing and indifferent as humanly possibly amongst the stares he received from the students. The junior cadets leered up at his figure with their own response of indifference, but with an undertone of intimidation and confusion hidden in their faces.

"As you can imagine," the steely-eyed SeeD began in his best "instructor" voice, "Instructor Hewitz could not come in today for personal reasons. Thus I will be conducting your class temporarily. According to his lesson plans, you have an exam in ancient Gaian mythology coming up, so we will use the day as a review session. Any questions?"

The underclassmen sat in stunned silence. Since when had their terse commander been capable of speaking multiple sentences at once? Perhaps it was something he saved only for meetings and substitute teacher moments.

Squall cleared his throat to counteract the uncomfortable quiet. "Right. So, can anyone tell me who ruled Gaia five hundred years ago?"

After five more seconds of excruciating empty air—Squall hoped that no one recognized the signs of irritation on his features—a petite female cadet with shy brown eyes perked her hand into the air. The commander nodded his acknowledgement of her action and she spoke soft, nervous words that were barely audible to those a seat away.

"Gaia was ruled by three descendents of Hyne. They were three princesses blessed with the powers of the Sorceress, and they combined their powers to protect the planet."

"That's correct," Squall replied, cracking the tiniest encouraging smile in hopes of bringing up her self-esteem without destroying his own infallible reputation. Those who were keen (or awake) enough to notice were shocked for the second time in just a few minutes. Was it possible for the commander to be humane?

He spoke again, cutting off their thoughts. "And Cadet Wellings, try to speak up a little louder. How do you expect your comrades on the field to hear you if you speak like that?" Never mind that humanity quip, the students decided. Everything was militaristic within the mind of twenty-year-old Commander Squall Leonhart, and would always be so.

Squall browsed through the exam material once again as he ran his hand through his brown tresses. "Which lands were under which ruler's domain?"

This time, a redheaded, freckled girl with pigtails spoke up. "Lady Amora ruled the Galbadian continent, which at that time included places like Deling, Dollet, Winhill, and even Balamb and Timber. To the east, Lady Verita ruled the Estharian continent, so she had control of all of Esthar and the Grandidi Forest. And then the northern and southern poles of Gaia—Shumi Village, Trabia, and Centra—were left to Lady Terra."

"Very good, Cadet Philk. But next time, don't speak unless called upon. That is SeeD protocol, remember?" The students sighed inwardly. They were only around fourteen-years-old; what could they possible care about protocol? Then again, what could _he_ possibly remember about being fourteen and wanting to play?

"There will be an extensive section on what each princess was known for and could control. Does anyone recall this material?"

A boy with sandy blonde hair at the front of the class raised his hand this time. He was careful not to speak until the commander issued him permission, then he opened his mouth. "Lady Verita was known for stressing education and intelligence. Most scholars came from Esthar, which is why the country is the world's leader in academics. She also was capable of controlling water, so all of the Navy's exploits and ocean commerce were under her jurisdiction."

"Well done, Cadet Barnum." The young cadet breathed a sigh of relief from coming out of Commander Leonhart's inquisition unscathed. "What about Lady Terra? Cadet Styars, you will put away that comic book and report to the Disciplinary Committee after class. You will also tell the class about Lady Terra while you're at it."

The cadet's unruly mop of chocolate brown hair hung in front of his face while he stashed the copy of _Occult Fan II_ in his desk. "Uhh…Lady Terra was known for being joyous and spreading peace. The reading said that she was carefree and stuff but she sounded kinda bubble-headed to me—" the temporary instructor interjected here with a stern sounding "ahem" "—oh, sorry. Anyway, she could control the earth, and so the army, geological testing, and intercontinental railways were under her command. Most automotive headway was made in her region, too."

Squall rolled his eyes at the end of the cadet's prattling and stifled a habitual "whatever". "Alright then, who wants to tell the class about Lady Amora? Anyone?" A girl with sweeping blonde hair and a dreamy look in her eyes raised her hand. "Yes, Cadet Farns? Go ahead."

"Lady Amora was known for being the kindest of the princesses. It was said that she could even turn the most hardened beasts into domestic animals with her care. Some people even said that she was using some sort of crazy witch power to make everyone fall for her, but I don't think that's true. I mean, it's not her fault that she had a true princess-like heart!" Cadet Farns clicked her gum in her mouth, and upon receiving the commander's disapproving grimace, swallowed the cud before she could meet the same fate as Cadet Styars. "Umm…sorry, didn't mean to go off like that. Anyway, because of her reputation for stirring love, lots of marriages occurred in Galbadia. She got her powers from the air and sun, and so she was in charge of the Air Force and all aeronautics."

"Thank you, Cadet Farns. Next time, I better not catch you chewing gum in class, understood?" Squall glanced at the clock on the wall as inconspicuously as possible and decided to expedite the review. He simply could not take anymore of their blank-eyed stares and regurgitations from the assigned readings.

"Each of the sorceresses had a knight by their side, as all sorceresses have in the past. These knights protected them when the Lunar Cry occurred. The Lunar Cry threatened to drop millions of terrible beasts from the moon, but the princesses gathered their powers to banish the monsters back to outer space. Legend has it that if the Lunar Cry starts again, the sorceresses will be reborn and reawakened to protect Gaia again."

The young commander shut the lesson book and rubbed his weary eyes for a minute. "Alright, make sure you study for the exam. It's in two days, so be prepared. Class dismissed."

Behind the classroom door, a tiny figure in blue spied the brown-haired SeeD.

* * *

"Are you sure you're ready to do this, ladies? It's a really big mission." The blonde-haired elf inspected each of the three fairies from behind the dark black ink on his face. He had nothing to worry about, really, having had personally monitored the progress of each of the girls since their childhood. 

"Even if we weren't ready, we have to go now," said the blonde fairy with the pale, rose-colored dress. "We don't have anymore time to question our skills."

Beside her, a blue-clad fairy with caramel-streaked raven locks nudged the blonde fairy in the side playfully. "And that's why you're the practical one, Truth. There's no ifs, ands, or buts with you."

The shortest one ran up and hugged the blonde elf. Her maple brown hair flipped up at the ends in a way that matched the cut of her pixie-style dress. "Oh, Zell, don't worry about us. You just take care of your pigtailed lady fair, you got that?"

"Right, right, just…be careful, okay? Love, don't let anyone take advantage of you. Earth, no getting distracted by trains. And Truth, don't be such a hardass, alright?" Zell shook his head with a laugh and handed them a few extra potions to take on their way. "Find the knights, wake up the princesses, and then come home safe and sound, please!"

"Yes sir!" the three fairies chirped together. With a final reassuring smile sent to their guardian, they put their hands together into a circle for what would be the last time in a while.

"Zellie's fairies, out!"

* * *

Squall had trudged his way back to his office on the third floor and stared wearily at the overwhelming stack of papers on his desk. His office was a mess but no one truly cared. All that mattered was that he got the job done. He settled into his plush leather chair and dove into the numerous papers waiting for his signature. He never heard the door close, but he was far too busy too care. As soon as he got the paperwork done, he could leave. To do what, he never was quite sure, but whatever it was would be better than signing papers mindlessly all day long. 

"You know, they say that Lady Amora's knight was a workaholic from Balamb, too. She was the only one who could give him enough love to break him out of his reverie."

"Xu, what did I tell you about coming in when I'm working—"

For once in his regimented life, Squall Leonhart was taken by surprise. The voice couldn't belong to Xu—she was on vacation in Winhill. He looked up and saw the sun clad in a sky blue dress standing before him. And he could have sworn he saw the faintest glimmer of wings behind her back.

"Rinoa the Sun Fairy, servant of Lady Amora, at your service. It's a pleasure to meet you, Knight Leonhart."

* * *

**Author's notes:** Okay, so the prologue's a bit ambiguous, but I swear it'll make more sense in the next chapter. I hope you're at least liking the premise, though… This is my first FF8 fic.

Here's a teaser for the next chapter!

Rinoa the fairy tries to get the ever-skeptical Commander Leonhart to listen to her story. What will it take to get him to agree to come with her? Do monsters have to fall from the moon to get him to believe her? Well, if he doesn't, they just might!


	2. Chapter 1: Light on the Horizon

Disclaimer: My boyfriend wont buy me the rights to FF8, so...I don't own it.

Remember the Nights  
Chapter 1: Light on the Horizon

* * *

The sun made its way through the drab windows and found its landing on the young fairy's face, softening her features and giving her a warm glow. Her lithe body was wrapped in a cotton-knit blue dress that ended just above her knees and scalloped in a _v_ below her collarbone. Dainty bell-sleeved arm warmers clad her thin arms from the bottom of her shoulders to her wrists, and sleek, black boots shod her petite feet.

The light sparkled more in her dark brown eyes than on her iridescent wings, carrying a sort of playful quality in them that would never hope to back down. But what caught the commander's breath the most was the brilliant smile that shone behind the fair complexion and dark fringe. It never let up, not even for a moment, like the bright sun hanging in the blue sky.

Rinoa the Sun Fairy was a very pretty girl, Squall's mind decided. And because of that, she was automatically against SeeD regulation. Article 74, Section 1: _No pretty girls in the commander's office. They are a distraction and will keep the commander from work._ Granted, it wasn't an official decree, but he could never be too careful; the press would have a field day if word ever got out that the all-powerful Squall Leonhart could not keep up social graces in front of an attractive woman.

"Do you have an appointment?" Squall asked, his voice as callous as the hide of an anacondaur. "I don't recall my secretary ever scheduling me a meeting with crazies from the left-wing Amorist party."

It seemed that under pressure of a pretty girl, the big and scary lion of Balamb Garden would opt for the tried and true be-mean-and-aloof-until-she-leaves method.

Rinoa scowled at him, hands on hips and eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I needed an appointment to tell you about your duty to save Gaia."

The commander took a deep breath and rubbed at his temples, hoping to prevent the headache that he already knew was coming. "Was it Nida who put you up to this? He's always saying that I need a distraction from work or something so I don't work too hard. Look, whatever he's paying you, I'll double it to make you leave."

This time, the reliable political tactic deny, deny, deny had been implemented. Would the small, spunky one fall to the big and scary one this way?

"I'm not being paid and I don't even know who this Nida person is," Rinoa huffed, arms now folded at her chest. "You can even call him to ask, if you want," she added with a knowing smirk.

"I think I just might," Squall shot back, challenging her by looking her straight in the eyes as he picked up the receiver.

When in doubt, call for backup. That's the SeeD way.

"Hello, Operator? Get Nida on the line for me. And while you're at it, call the security detail up to my office." Squall continued to stare back at his "guest" with one of his most intimidating stares as he waited for Karen the Operator's usual, "One moment please, Commander Leonhart." One, two, three, four, five seconds and still no reply. "Karen? Karen, patch me through to Nida! Are you even _listening?_"

To his dismay, the fairy in front of him poorly stifled a giggle with her hand. "She can't hear you."

Squall snapped his head to face her and let out an almost lethal growl. "And why is that?"

"Because there's a selective stop spell on all of Balamb Garden, silly." Rinoa looked back at the semi-homicidal young man as if the information was common knowledge. "Everyone in Balamb Garden is frozen in time, save for just me and you."

And when there's no one to call for backup, perhaps it's time for negotiation.

Fists clenched, Squall stole a quick peak at the window. Outside, he could see a bird stopped mid-air just within the reaches of Garden's perimeter. The room was silent, completely lacking the comforting tick of the wall clock and the drone of the computer. His icy blue eyes widened ever so slightly. "But…para-magic isn't capable of such a large-range spell…"

The fairy rolled her eyes. "It's not para-magic, you big meanie, it's _fairy_ magic." She turned her back to face him and fluttered her shining wings for illustration. "Haven't you gotten that yet? I'm a fairy. _Duh._"

Squall took a deep breath and sunk into his plush leather seat. He gripped one of his wrists with the opposite hand and evened his breathing to calm his tensed nerves. "You have five minutes. Talk."

"Glad you finally see it my way." Rinoa took a seat in one of the guest chairs conveniently placed in front of Squall's desk and crossed one leg over the other.

"For one, there's a slight flaw in what you said in your earlier lecture—" the brunette in front of her irked an eyebrow curiously at this "—Yes, I was listening in. Yeesh, sorry, I guess that's not _regulation_, is it?"

Her voice dripped poison over the word that had come to exemplify Squall's entire being. The commander gave an indignant huff and said nothing, letting the stillness of the air speak for him.

"Anyway, each sorceress had a fairy in their court to act as their royal advisor. They provided insight as to the general well-being of Gaia, as well as magical support in contrast to the knight's physical support." Rinoa's eyes suddenly drooped to her knees and her wings, which had earlier been fluttering unconsciously, now slowed to a halt. "And umm…I'm the reincarnation of Lady Amora's royal advisor."

The fairy's eyes perked up slightly to see if the new information would break through the skeptical brick wall that was Squall Leonhart. His eyes dodged hers for an uncertain moment, then returned with the same unbridled sternness.

"You have three minutes left."

It was then that she realized that he hadn't been paying attention at all; he was too busy keeping time by watching his pulse.

Rinoa winced. How was it that anyone could remain so cold? She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and the new position allowed the sun's rays to blindside her momentarily. And then it hit her like a smack to the face: Lady Amora's greatest power was the ability to find common ground. That was how she quelled arguments and settled debates. And that would be how she would convince Squall to accept his duty.

She took a deep breath before starting to speak again. "The Lunar Cry is going to happen within a few months. Signs are starting to show up on the moon, and everyone—fairy and human alike—is getting worried. If you're still doubtful after I'm done talking, call the moon base and see for yourself. I'll even dispel the stop spell so that you can place the call. Gaia's in danger of monster invasion, and that's fact. But if you're wondering how you're involved with all of this, well…before her death, Lady Amora instilled a sort of tracking device within each of the souls of the fairies. That way, when the Lunar Cry occurred again, each fairy would be able to regain their memories of the past and find the sorceresses and knights. And you, well, you happen to be a knight."

Rinoa bit her lip worriedly, hoping that her words were starting to sink in. She procured a faded piece of rolled up parchment from the inside of her sleeve and fidgeted with it in her lap.

"But that's just what they told me in training back home. See…I still haven't regained all of my memories yet. They're supposed to come flooding back to the both of us while we search for a way to reawaken Lady Amora. That way, we'd know exactly what to do when she arrives and the great love that you two shared in the past would be capable of stopping the Lunar Cry. So basically, I don't really have any solid proof that you're Knight Stormwind's reincarnation except for this nagging feeling inside of me and the fact that the entire world dependent on it. But I'm absolutely certain that this feeling is right. Don't you want to know if it is?"

Squall glimpsed at the clock on his desk once more and released a wry smirk. "Your time's up."

The fairy grimaced, pursing her lips in a way that obviously showed her distress. "Alright. I've said my piece. But maybe this will do a better job of convincing you than I could."

She stood up and handed over the brittle piece of parchment. She took the time to smooth out the miniscule wrinkles that had settled in her dress, then slowly walked to the door. "I have no idea what she saw in you," the fairy quipped disdainfully, refusing to even turn her head to him as she spoke. "See you are, Knight Leonhart."

And with that, she was gone. The door shut behind her, leaving a few sparkles from the tips of her wings floating in the air.

Suddenly, the still air in Squall's office began to hum again, and he heard the shuffling of footsteps and files outside his door. The drone of his computer returned and he caught the bird finally continuing it's flight just outside his window. It was as if Balamb Garden had awoken from a deep sleep and Rinoa the Sun Fairy had only been a strange dream.

He tried to shift his thoughts back to his overwhelming load of paperwork, but the roll of parchment continued to catch his eye. It sat on his granite-surfaced desk like an imperfection, and a voice in his head persisted, begging him to open it.

He ran his hands through his hair and quietly succumbed to his curiosity. Carefully, he untied the thin piece of black twine that held the parchment in a tight spiral and smoothed it out onto his desk.

There, immortalized in canvas and ink after so many years, was a painting. An elegant woman, undoubtedly the Lady Amora, turned her face away from view, leaving only the imprint of her smile to be seen. At her flanks were two other figures. To her right, a young man knelt in full regalia and looked up with piercing blue eyes. Squall ran his fingers across the young man's image in shock. Held fast in the man's hand was the artist's rendition of a gunblade with a fierce lion etched into it's blade. And to the Sorceress' left, a young girl clad in sky blue floated effortlessly in the air by use of her shining wings.

* * *

He found her twenty minutes later sitting in the grassy plains outside Garden and basking in the sun's warm rays. He sat beside her, setting Lionheart down and wrapping his arms around his knees. Neither one said anything for a few painstaking moments, giving themselves time to get used to each others company. It was going to be a long road, after all.

"So…where do we go first?" he asked finally, looking out to the horizon.

She let out a soft chuckle. "I was hoping you had an idea."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Alright, I got the first chapter done! Go me! I do hope you liked it. Rinny and Squally are so fun to play with. So, where is our favorite duo off to first, hmm? Here's a hint: where would a sun-powered sorceress hide a fragment of her soul? And on another note, how are the other two fairies doing? We'll see next chapter!

Oh, and of course, much much much _much_ love to the reviewers! You guys made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, so thank you so much! Remember to keep reviewing though; I really appreciate constructive criticism, and it also gives me motivation to write the next chapter.


	3. Chapter 2: First Memory

Disclaimer: I don't own FF8, but maybe someone could give it to me as a birthday present? I turn 18 really soon, you know…

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Remember the Nights  
Chapter 2: First Memory

"Tell me, why in Hyne's name are we in Trabia again?"

Rinoa cringed as she came to an abrupt stop hovering above the glimmering snow. Her wings gave an involuntary twitch as she prepared to answer the question for the umpteenth time in a single hour. The fairy turned to face her companion, only to find a surly look across his hardened features. Tension mounted in her temples as she sighed, hoping only to relieve her irritation.

"I told you already," Rinoa said, rolling her eyes. "Lady Amora was a believer in the strength of opposites. Where one falters, the other could pick up the pieces. It is said that is why she and Sir Stormwind were such an undefeatable couple."

She heard his large supply bag hit the ground with a satisfying 'plop' and narrowed her eyes at the commander. "I know that," Squall spat, now working out a stiff shoulder. "But what does it have to with being in Trabia?"

"Lady Amora was blessed by sunlight, remember? So with her way of thinking, she would trust that a precious resurrection item would be safe in a place completely opposite of her powers."

"And you put all of that together and figured out that it means that she'd give something this important to _Shiva_, of all people?"

Rinoa nodded as innocently as she could despite the murderous look in Squall's steely blue eyes. He merely shook his head, as if trying to restrain himself from using her petite body as gunblade practice.

"You really knew all of that information off of the top of your head?" Squall finally asked after a few stilted moments.

Rinoa let out a haughty chuckle. "No…I, uh, had help from a friend."

* * *

"Rin, are you even paying attention?"

The raven-haired fairy blinked and found a fiery blonde in front of her with rimmed glasses perched atop an elegant nose. Her eyes held a blue intensity with untold amounts of knowledge inside them. The blonde waved a pencil in front of the younger fairy's face while tucking her notebook possessively to her bosom.

Rinoa giggled embarrassedly. "Sorry, Quisty, I guess I spaced out."

"Really, I would think you'd take this a little more seriously," Quistis scolded, clicking her tongue. "You are Lady Amora's royal advisor! It's your duty to know Amoran history, just like it's mine to know Veritan history and Selphie's to know Terran history."

"Gack!"

Both fairies turned their heads in attention to the sudden sound. Beside Rinoa, a brunette lay in a crumpled heap of body limbs and notes with her chair on its side next her. Giggles escaped her lips as she looked up at her two friends with giddy emerald eyes.

Rinoa could not help but let out a few giggles herself. "Yeah, Quist, Selphie's really taking this seriously."

"Aww, Rinny, don't be like that!" Selphie protested, sticking her pink tongue out at the dark-haired girl. "I'm smarter than I look! For instance, Lady Terra's alliances, aside from the other two sorceresses, were with Siren, patron saint of Dollet, as well as with Doomtrain, spirit of status effect magic and the Esthar plains."

Quistis and Rinoa sat stunned with mouths ajar. "That…that's right, Selphie!" the blonde managed to stammer out, still in disbelief. She quickly recomposed herself and turned to the brown-eyed fairy beside her. "See, Rin, the reason why we need to know this stuff is because if we ever need assistance while we're out on our mission, we can go to our allies. We can throw sorceress names around and we will be assisted—so long as we're in the right place."

The blue-clad fairy pursed her lips and fidgeted her fingers for a few moments before finally giving in to what she called the "Professor Quisty tone". With her head hung in defeat, she conceded. "Okay then…so, who were Lady Amora's allies?"

Quistis smiled and readjusted her glasses. "Well, according to lecture the other day," she began, rifling through several pages of notes until she found the page she wanted, "Lady Amora was attracted to forces opposite from hers. She believed that by surrounding herself with people whose strengths were different from hers, she could compensate for her own weaknesses. Thus, she allied herself with Shiva, the famous Ice Goddess, and alternately, Lord Ifrit of the fire caverns."

Rinoa nodded with understanding showing in her brown eyes. She looked at her two best friends with a wistful smile. They had met early on in life, drawn together by their shared destiny. Now, with the latest news of activity occurring on the surface on the moon, the three girls knew there was little time left before they would be forced away from the safety of their friendship trinity.

"It's almost time, isn't it?" Selphie piped up, having figured out what her friend was thinking. Rinoa merely managed to nod blankly, and Quistis rubbed her sore eyes. They joined hands and exchanged reassuring glances. In just a few more weeks, they would depart on the most important mission of their lives.

* * *

"Hey, watch out!"

Squall's voice carried from outside Rinoa's memories and threw the fairy back into reality. However, his warning came a second too short. Rinoa took one more unaware step forward, and smacked herself headfirst into a baby blue dragon.

The impact sent her reeling and she blinked away the stun from her eyes. Behind her, she heard Squall utter a profanity and a second later she felt his gloved hand shove her out of the way. She landed roughly on the frozen tundra and her jaw dropped at the sight before her. Squall had drawn Lionheart, and now held it above his head to defend from an angry maternal blue dragon.

"Take care of the baby!" the commander yelled out, instinctively taking charge.

Rinoa shot up quickly and her wings flickered behind her. "Stop!" she cried out, and the rampaging enemies halted in their tracks. She let out a heavy breath and rubbed her forearms to get the blood flowing once again. "That was close, wasn't it?" she grinned, trying her best not to look shaken.

"What were you doing?" The commander had fire burning in his cold eyes, lighting up his frosty features. "You could have gotten us both killed just now!"

They walked briskly, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the fierce dragons while the stop spell endured. Despite the frenzy, Rinoa found herself with room to question the knight. "What's your problem? We got out of there alive, didn't we?"

He suddenly whipped around, his fists balled in fury. "If you call a measly stop spell 'getting out of there', sure. But Hyne, if you had just been paying attention in the first place, we wouldn't have gotten into that mess!" He was screaming now, utterly bewildered by her lack of awareness. "What could you have been thinking about that could have gotten you so off guard?"

The fairy bristled, shocked by his unprecedented anger. "I…I was… That's none of your business!" she shot back, her mocha eyes staring daggers into his electrifying blue ones. "So stop being a big fat _meanie head_ and drop it, will you?"

"_Maybe I will if you'd just stop being so damn weak!"_

Something about his words snapped a fuse inside the young advisor. "I'll show you who's weak!" The wind picked up as her eyes flashed a golden gleam across her irises and her hair blew about her face wildly. She began to chant ancient words that flowed from days long past. "I call upon the lady Sun and the Galbadian winds! Wear down their wiles with your strength, with your heat flay their skins!"

Squall's eyes widened, his senses now heightened by the excessive amount of magical energy in the air. He put his hands up to try to defend himself as he approached the furious fairy. "Hey…that's a big spell! Be careful!"

"I know what I'm doing!" Rinoa snarled back at him. Her body hung limply in the air now, supported only by the wind she summoned as the rest of her efforts went to collecting energy at her fingertips.

The commander paled. Despite his limited knowledge of fairy magic, he did not have to a lot to understand that the amount of energy Rinoa was about to use in her blind ire could undoubtedly harm them both. "Rinoa, stop it!"

He could see her body start to flounder as it dangled helplessly in the air. The glow around her began to fade, and the young fairy finally began to get worried about her reckless actions. Her vision was getting hazy, and then suddenly, it all blacked out.

* * *

"_How dare you try to speak to a lady of the courts in such a manner, Stormwind!"_

_A young woman barely in her twenties stood her ground, black hair swirling about her head. In front of her, a knight with a fierce expression stood clenching his fists._

"_Well if you weren't so damn weak," Stormwind spat out, his anger rivaling her own, "Maybe you wouldn't need a knight to begin with!"_

"_How dare you!" Amora screeched, her fingers twitching. "I…I'll show you! I call upon the Lady Sun and the Galbadian Winds! Wear down their wiles with your strength, with your heat flay their skins!"_

_Stormwind suddenly grew nervous, recognizing how the strength of the spell could easily pose a threat to him and his charge. But her stance soon buckled under the pressure of the spell, and he ran forward through the intense winds and caught her in his arms._

"_Amora, are you okay?"_

* * *

"Rinoa, are you okay?"

Squall gently tapped the fairy's cheek to try to stir her back into consciousness. "Come on, wake up!"

Slowly, her dark eyes began to open, and upon locking with those of the commander, she immediately blushed and scrambled out of his grasp. But the moment she tried to stand up, her legs wobbled and she caught his shoulder for stability once again.

"Er…thanks for catching me," Rinoa mumbled, obviously embarrassed. Her head felt heavy, as did the rest of her body, a telltale sign that she had drained herself. "I need to regain my energy. Do you mind?"

Before Squall could answer, a wave of light washed over her body, and when it faded, the commander could say he had been surprised twice in his life. Somehow, Rinoa's body, while already small, had gone from being five-foot-three to five-point-three _inches_. She giggled and her eyes, still just as bright despite their new size, flashed him a mischievous look. She dove towards his chest and somehow managed to bury herself within one of the inside pockets of Squall's leather jacket.

"What the hell are you doing?" the commander asked, undoubtedly surprised by the tiny fairy residing comfortably inside his breast pocket. He held the side of his jacket open by holding it at the zipper, exposing the small, winged creature to the elements.

Rinoa let out a sheepish giggle. "It's a fairy thing. When I'm out of energy, I recharge like this," she said, pointing to her petite stature. "Now, would you mind? I'm trying to rest up! Close the curtains!"

"_Whatever._" Completely confused, Squall let go of his grip on his jacket and walked numbly forward, if only to avoid further thinking on what just happened.

Inside, Rinoa stifled another giggle and fished out a small, twinkling device from the inside of her pocket. It was shaped like a makeup compact made up of two golden components hinged together and shut closed with a winged insignia. The fairy popped the item open, revealing a screen on the top component and a few lit buttons beneath it.

"Love to Truth and Earth, over," she said into the tiny microphone at the bottom of the device. "Hey, are you guys there?"

The screen crackled for a moment before showing a bubbly brunette with upturned hair and shining green eyes. "Rinny! Oh Hyne, I've missed you so much!"

"Earth, use the code names," said a second voice. The screen crackled once more and then showed a dignified-looking blonde with sapphire eyes. "You never know who could be listening in."

"Who would be listening to three fairies getting together for some girl talk over the fae-net?" Rinoa asked, curious.

"Anti-sorceress factions, that's who," said Quistis as she adjusted her glasses. "So please, use the code names. We need to be careful."

"Oh, fine," Selphie agreed, pouting. "Anyway, what'd you buzz us for, Love?"

Rinoa sucked in her breath, unsure of how she could inform her friends of what just had taken place. She tilted her face back up to the screen, all the while fiddling with her fingers.

"I think I just had my first memory, guys."

Both of the fairies on the small screen gasped, their eyes widening. Selphie let out a wide grin and Quistis smiled accordingly. "Well, well?" Selphie prodded, wanting to know more. "Tell us everything!"

The blue-dressed fairy laughed embarrassedly at her friend's eagerness. "Lady Amora and Sir Stormwind were in a fight. Lady Amora got so angry that she tried to use the Burning Gale hex."

Quistis looked impressed. "The Burning Gale hex? But that's really high-level magic! Did she pull it off?"

Rinoa shook her head. "No, she drained herself. She ended up falling and Sir Stormwind caught her…" She stalled for a moment, still trying to figure out exactly how she had ended up in the same predicament with Squall just a few minutes earlier. "…and that's all I saw," she lied, deciding not to tell them until she understood it all herself.

_Selphie would try to make a big deal of it and say we're destined for each other or something like that_, she reasoned to herself. _But that's not possible, because he's meant for Lady Amora, not me—not that I'd want him._

"Seems like there was trouble in paradise," Quistis commented. "I'm guessing that means you found Sir Stormwind?"

The fairy nodded as if she wished the statement was not true. "Yeah…would you believe it? He's the commander of Balamb Garden! And he's Gaia's biggest meany head, that's for sure! He's so anti-social and…he's just irritating!"

Selphie giggled and tucked a rogue strand of hair behind her ear. "Hey, I think I'd take that over Sir Roughshot's reincarnation. He's so perverted! I mean, he's kind of cute—" at this, she blushed slightly and turned away from the screen to hide the red on her cheeks "—but he flirts with every girl he meets!"

"At least he's probably well-mannered," Quistis interjected, looking over her shoulder to see if anyone was listening in on their conversation. In the corner of her eye she caught a lone figure and a mischievous smile curled onto her lips. And then, in the biggest voice Rinoa and Selphie had ever heard her talk in, she announced, "BECAUSE SEIFER ALMASY IS THE RUDEST, MOST ARROGANT REINCARNATION OF SIR CROSSFIRE TO EVER EXIST."

A loud protest came from behind Quistis, and Selphie and Rinoa erupted into a fit of laughter. After a few minutes, the laughter subsided and a tense silence filled the empty conversation.  
"I really miss you guys," Selphie said, a worn smile on her face. Rinoa and Quistis exchanged their own mute nods of agreement. Each fairy silently took note of their shared loneliness now that they were on their own.

"Rinoa. Hey, Rinoa, get out here."

The raven-haired fairy turned to her friends apologetically. "That's Squall. Sorry, but I guess I gotta cut the call short."

"That's okay! We'll talk again soon, okie dokie?" Selphie piped, ever chipper.

"Be careful out there, alright?" Both Rinoa and Selphie traded looks. Constant warnings were a typical Quistis action.

Rinoa shut off the fae-net compact and floated her way toward Squall's jacket zipper. She popped her head outside of the leather material and saw an icy cave before her.

"We're here."

* * *

**Author's Note**: OH MY GYAD. I'M SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG. Please don't hurt me. I got so busy for a while, and then my inspiration just went _ker-splat._ I'm the kind of writer that can't be forced to write, so I had to wait for it to hit me again…and it didn't come back until the other night. Oopsies.

But oh man, you guys leave the nicest reviews! They make me so happy. After reading them, I tried to force myself to write this chapter despite my horrible writer's block, and yeah. See? You guys can totally get my writing motor running. You can leave me comments as a birthday present (I turn 18 on December 21, yay)!

Oh, and if this chapter isn't enough for you (it was plenty for me—I didn't think it would be this long!), I posted a one-shot Squinoa not that long ago called _Release_. It's far more angsty and fast-paced that _Remember the Nights_, but I'm very fond of it nonetheless.

And now, a teaser for the next chapter! The Sun Fairy meets the Ice Goddess, and icicle blades are tested against Lionheart. Lady Shiva shows that she holds lots of important information when she passes on a message to the duo. But will she have what Rinoa and Squall need to reawaken Lady Amora?


	4. Chapter 3: Here Comes the Sun

Disclaimer: FF8 still isn't mine…but this fuzzy penguin bathrobe is! Ahahahaha!

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Remember the Nights  
Chapter 3: Here Comes the Sun 

The Trabian Ice Caves glistened in the dark. Each icicle took advantage of what little light managed to stream in through the entrance, creating tiny refracted rainbow spots all over the frozen water. The entrance split into multiple tunnels at one wide expanse, creating a feeling of endlessness.

Rinoa rubbed at her arms and shivered. Despite the thick cotton knit material of her dress, the short skirt and arm warmers failed to keep her body temperature up. The beautiful shimmer of the icicles hanging from the ceiling did nothing to halt the chattering of her teeth. She tried to inch closer to Squall, but found herself unable to leech any of his body warmth.

"It's freezing in here!" she pouted, unable to take the frigid environment any longer.

Squall rolled his eyes. "We're in an _ice cave_ in _Trabia_. You should have worn something warmer."

The petite girl pursed her lips into a scowl. "I'm a Sun Fairy! I don't do cold."

"Whatever."

Rinoa shook her head. The freezing temperature did nothing to the commander in his fur-lined leather jacket, she thought, her mind filled with envy. In fact, the icy setting almost seemed to match his cold personality. Her teeth clashed again as she found herself incapable of controlling her jaw, and she winced in pain.

"Lady Shiva, are you there?" Rinoa called out, her voice trembling. "We come seeking your aid—"

"I have recognized your presence, young Sun Fairy." A sharp wind rushed through the cavern like a bitter gale, and Squall immediately clutched the hilt of his gunblade as if an attacker lurked in the air. Crystals of ice began to form in the swirling wind, and they gathered into the silhouette of a long, curvaceous woman. The light seemed to catch her curves and a glint sparkled in her cold, blue eyes.

"Do you truly dare to call your blade out in front of a goddess, Knight Stormwind?" The woman's voice was haughty and noble, reflecting razor-sharp edges of ice in her tone.

The Sun Fairy dropped into a sudden bow, and a half-second later the commander, ever observant, followed suit. "Lady Shiva, we offer our humblest apologies—"

"Silence, child." Shiva smiled as Rinoa's lip shut closed. "You have come seeking a way to resurrect Amora. Do not knit your eyebrows in disbelief, Knight. It must be so, otherwise, you would not have come." Squall's annoyed expression did not change, even though hearing himself referred to as "Stormwind" struck a chord of ire within him.

Shiva let out a wry huff. "I am pleased that you have come. This shows that you are committed to this journey. However, I cannot release the information that I know so freely. Before I can tell you anything, I must test your devotion."

"A test?" Squall asked, his mounting irritation showing slightly. "We came all this way for a test?"

"Clutch your hilt tighter, Knight Stormwind." Shiva's eyes narrowed into lethal slits. "This is a _solely_ test of the Knight's devotion, which means that you, Fairy, may not interfere, lest you desire to fail. And I assure you, the price of failure is far too much for any of us to bear."

Rinoa winced under the weight of the goddess' harsh words. She looked to Squall, who seemed merely annoyed, and wrapped her arms around herself insecurely. The commander noticed the fairy's tension. "The test, my lady?"

Shiva smiled her cold smile once more. "I see you are ready. A lack of hesitation is absolutely necessary for your success."

Five giant ice crystals rose out of the ground and hung in the air around the lady of ice. Each of the crystals was the same length as one of Squall's legs, and the thickest section of the crystals was equivalent to the circumference of Rinoa's waist. The ends of the crystals met in sharp points that shimmered with the same arctic deadliness that shone in Shiva's eyes.

"As a knight, your duty is to protect your liege. These crystals are your enemies. I shall use them to test not only the sharpness of your blade, but your readiness to attack and—if you must—die for the Sorceress. At my command, the crystals will fly, aiming to kill both you _and_ the young fairy. You must slash at each of the crystals until they are small and fragile enough to fall as powder snow. Falter for just one moment too long, and you both shall die."

Squall's cloudy blue eyes remained calm, but Rinoa felt herself trembling on the inside. "And I can't help him at all?" she asked meekly, desperate for one last try at a reprieve from helplessness.

"Correct." Shiva raised a delicate hand and the crystals fidgeted in the air at her movement. "Now…begin!"

The ice crystals rushed forward, barely giving Squall time to raise his gunblade in defense. Rinoa's head spun as she tried to follow the swerving tails of the deadly crystals, but her inability only added to her feeling of ineptitude. But Squall's SeeD training had honed his instincts, and his body followed each of the crystals perfectly. One crystal swept up into the air and then dove back down at an angle poised to pierce the Sun Fairy's heart, but the Knight kept his cool and prepared his body to attack. He leaped into the air with Lionheart held over his head, then brought it down in a hard swing that sliced the crystal in two easily.

Rinoa tensed, obviously shaken by her close encounter with death. She watched a shard that had splintered off of the crystal cut deeply into Squall's calf, and as he let out a muffled curse, the fairy instinctively began to cast a Cure spell on her comrade.

"Do not interfere!" Shiva barked, and Rinoa froze in her tracks. The spell unraveled in her hands and tiny tears of frustration pooled in her eyes as she felt herself unable to help once again.

With an injured leg, Squall knew he would not be able to take the offensive any longer. He held his blade in front of him, took the strongest stance he could in front of the shivering fairy, and waited for the next attack. Ice flew toward him in a break-neck manner, but the battle-hardened commander slashed through each crystal as if he were merely practicing in the training center back at Garden.

Remnants of the crushed ice flew past him in miniscule fragments, and Squall lowered Lionheart for a moment of well-earned rest. His first instinct was to tend to his wounded leg. Rinoa fluttered toward him, her wings shaking off bits of condensation that had frozen on her, but a sound in the distance caught her ear. In the corner of her eye, the chunks of ice began to gather to form one last crystal, complete with one sharp point aimed to kill the distracted Knight.

"Squall, watch out!" Rinoa let out a visceral scream despite multiple warnings not to interrupt the trial. She shielded her eyes, unwilling to see the ice cut into vulnerable flesh.

Squall tilted his head up at the sound of Rinoa's scream. A moment before the fatal blow was dealt, a warm light burst into the cavern through an unexpected crack in the ceiling. Shiva herself winced as she recognized the light as a ray of sunshine, and the intensifying heat made short work of the threatening ice crystal.

As soon as the crystal had melted, Squall healed his injury and made his way over to the shaken Sun Fairy. "Are you okay?" he asked, unusually worried.

Rinoa nodded. "Yeah, but I…"

"You have interfered with the test." Shiva strode toward the girl with a stern expression on her face, enough to scare Rinoa so badly that her wings halted in mid-air and she collapsed on the cold ground. "I had warned you against such rash actions, and yet, you persisted." The goddess raised her hand in a motion as if to slap the insolent fairy, but then rested it soothingly against her cheek. "You have passed my test."

The duo stared at the goddess in wide-eyed confusion. "We passed?" Rinoa managed to sputter out. "But…we…I don't understand…"

Shiva gave a comforting smile. "I have deceived you. The test was administered to test your teamwork, and more importantly, _your relationship._ Your uninhibited reaction to the prospect of your companion in danger was precisely what I was looking for. Amora would have it no other way."

The commander helped the stunned fairy to her feet, but remembered the reason why they had arrived. "Well, now that we have passed your test, what can you tell us about resurrecting Lady Amora?"

Shiva released a soft chuckle. "You were never one to forget your duty, Stormwind. It is good to see that hasn't changed." She tucked a frozen strand of hair away from her glistening eyes, now turned serious. "Alas, I do not have any information for you. Amora merely asked that I test your readiness for the upcoming battle, and I have. However, I can tell you that Lord Ifrit of the Fire Caverns may be of more assistance to you both."

"That's it?" Squall gripped his gunblade's hilt once more, but this time held it in fury. "We came out here for nothing but a stupid test?_Whatever_." Shaking his head angrily, he turned his back on the goddess and stormed out of the cave.

Rinoa's eyes went wide in shock at his rude behavior, but she turned her attention back to the lady in front of her. "Please forgive him, my lady, he—"

"Hush. He has not changed at all since I have last seen him, and perhaps that is a godsend to you both." Shiva turned her eyes down to the intimidated fairy. "Do not look so grim, young Sun Fairy. Your mother smiles upon you this day."

The mention of her mother snapped her head up immediately. "My mother?" Rinoa asked, her voice sounding more like a plea.

But Shiva would say no more on the subject. "Time is of the essence. May Hyne watch over you on your journey."

Rinoa found herself unable to speak for a moment. Stunned, she gave a small bow and fluttered out of the cave.

* * *

Despite his cold persona, Squall had noticed that his fairy companion had not said a word since they had left the cavern. Odd as it was, he found it more uncomfortable to walk with her silence than with her constant attempts at chatter. Needless to say, he found it even more disrupting when the soft hum of her wings ceased. She plunked down into the snow and curled her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth with a saddened expression on her fair face. Squall made no comment—he wasn't quite sure what to say—and simply stared at her dulled appearance. 

After what seemed like an eternity, Rinoa finally mumbled, "Lady Shiva heard from my mom. I'm so jealous."

Squall knelt down in the snow beside her, but still found himself without words. "She used to sing a lot. She was the only person to call me 'Rinny"—well, until I met Selphie, but that was years later," Rinoa continued, an empty half-smile on her face as memories of her mother filled her. "She passed away when I was five. Freak accident, that's what it said on the news."

She clutched her knees to her chest as hot tears began to run down her cheeks. "The Royal Advisor's soul has always reincarnated into Mom's bloodline. So when she found out that it was me…she was so happy…" Hiccups rang through her speech, and Squall even felt compelled to rub her back, but his social-ineptness refrained him.

"She told me that it was an honor to be born into having this duty to the Sorceress. She was so proud of me, and I always worked hard to keep that smile on her face. But Dad never liked it—he's a general in the army and he thought militaristic action was better than waiting for 'some sorceress'—" an ugly sneer crossed her tear-streaked face as she mentioned her father "—so when Mom died, so did whatever support he had for me."

A heart-wrenching sob exploded from inside her, and her head fell onto her knees as she cried. Her whole body shook as her wails hit the air, echoing through the snow-filled surroundings. "It's been years, but I guess I've never gotten over it," she said through her sniffles. "It's just never been the same since. I miss her so much."

Squall let out a breath as Rinoa's heaving chest began to slow. His mouth felt dry, but something about the shaking girl beside him coerced him to speak. "I lost my mother," he whispered, unable to understand why he had mentioned it.

Rinoa looked up at him, her eyes bloodshot and rimmed with glistening tears. Something seemed off about him actually contributing to her previously one-sided conversation, but she took it to heart anyway. "Do you remember her?" she asked, eager for even the smallest anecdote from his early life.

He shook his head. "She died in childbirth."

The fairy suddenly felt wretched for asking. Her memories made her feel selfish as she realized that he had none of his own. "Oh Hyne, I'm sorry," she rasped out, her voice hoarse from crying.

"Don't be," came his hollow reply.

Rinoa was surprised at his lack of emotion. "But don't you miss her?"

The commander abruptly stood up, his eyes to the horizon. "You can't miss what you've never known. Come on; we should get going." He held his hand out to her to help her up, and she took it after a moment's apprehension.

Rinoa wiped the tears off of her face with the back of her arm warmer and looked toward the cloudy sky. "You're right," she said with a nod. "Besides, Mom's watching, and I should do her proud, right?"

The frosty Trabian climate seemed to warm a little as they trudged through the snow, and Rinoa smiled to herself.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Sorry it took so long, guys! But hey, that's what you get for only giving me one review! It made me rather sad! But anyway, in response to Stranger's question…no comment. ;D You'll just have to wait and see, wont you?

And here's a sneak peak at the next chapter! Lord Ifrit is a no-nonsense fire God with a temperament to match his chosen element. Will he have any information on Lady Amora? Will Squall and Rinoa be able to stand the heat long enough to find out? Tune in next time! AND REVIEW PLZ. D:


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